Design, optimization, and industrial-scale experimental study of a high-efficiency dividing wall column

In this study, an industrial-scale dividing wall column (DWC) with a height of 11500 mm and a diameter of 400 mm has been built. This device is a highly industrial DWC test platform equipped with an advanced distributed control system (DCS). The performance of the DWC was evaluated using a mixed alcohol system. In simulation studies, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain optimal parameters. The results indicate that DWC could secure a 25.43% thermodynamic efficiency, a 33.39% savings in energy consumption, and 28.73% reduction in total annual cost. The simulation was adjusted according to the structural parameters and actual conditions of the DWC device. The overall results show that a good agreement exists between the experimental data and simulation results, whereas small deviations were generated on both sides of the dividing wall because of local fluctuations. This study validated the superiority of DWC, thus providing a reference for further industrialization of DWCs.